she also recommended i avoid processed foods(what i already do) refined grains, potatoes(deadly nightshade) and pork(parasites) and dark chocolate. i try not to eat them but sometimes i eat some pork and rarely some potatoes. the diet she has was like an alkaline diet which is basically close to what i already eat (paleo) but they allow whole grain and not pork/potatoes/dark chocolate. i dont eat whole grains though. she said id get better (feel like a normal person) in about 6 months.

she also recommended 2 colonic irrigations $200, and 10 craniosacral therapy sessions at $900(because i had a head injury a few years earlier and she saw a "bubble" in my head that my parents didnt have so its not inherited[i cant really see what she meant by that]) we didnt do those though.

I've also got my vitamin d levels tested and although i was in the sun a lot and tanning because it's middle of winter, i had 33ng/ml. so i took some 50,000 IU once every one and a half weeks because i go in the sun as well. i think im going to be generating some in the spring sunlight now in september.

I'm fermenting my own sauerkraut and starting to have one spoon a day for probiotics. ive only had it for two days. i think it tastes horrible but im still doing it.

I think its working a tiny bit but my parents are unwilling to spend more money on the naturopath believeing them to be scammers(they only went the first time to "prove" me wrong). i finished everything else and im halfway through salmon oil and pro vitality.

Im just wondering whether i still need the supplements or did i only need to take them for one month to get better. ive emailed the naturopath but she hasnt replied yet. ive looked up supplements from mark sissons website http://primalblueprint.com/products/Platinum-Package---AUTOSHIP*.html is in new zealand dollars $240 but im not sure how much shipping and handling is. its really similar to what my naturopath gave me. id like cheaper options if they are available.

Im also not sure if colon irrigations or crainosacral therapies are worth it. i believe i could try and argue with them about everything, but if i dont need the supplements to get better than i wouldnt want to get stressed out about it. what would you guys recommend?

Also I had cranial sacral done once, and I really don't think it was worth it. Maybe it was just me, but I really found it did nothing. I would rather have stayed home and had a nice meditation session by myself for free. I haven't talked to anyone else about it, so maybe it has helped some people...

my thyroid was normal but im not sure if i tested t3 and t4. my serum ferritin was 140 which is a bit high. im sorta depressed because im tired. sometimes im anxious. it think my breathing is normal and deep. i did go to a regular doctor and we did some blood tests which included a lot like viruses but they couldnt find anything. im not sure what specialist i should go to.

Well, then, there are other things to check out. Your thyroid, your iron levels, are you depressed? Anxious? How is your breathing? You might try a regular doctor, for a full blood work up, and then go from there. Remember, it's your right to ask to see a specialist if you find you're not getting the answers you like.

I may have overlooked the obvious here, have you had a sleep study done to make sure you are going through all the stages of sleep properly, and your breathing isn't disrupted by sleep apnea or anything? Sleep apnea is most common in overweight people, but isn't limited to them.

Oh yeah, electrolytes. They can cause mental fog if you lack em. You can get a test for it, but to be sure is to include food that have em: table salt/sea salt (sodium), dark leafy greens (calcium/magnesium), almond milk/milk (calcium), banana/kiwifruit (potassium). Eating alot of these foods for awhile might help. Sodium and potassium are the main ones, but all of them can cause issue if they are low..

im pretty sure i didnt have swollen glands last year. ive been tested for a lot of viruses but im not sure if mono was one of them. it probably is but im not sure. ive been tired for 5+ years, and i probably had a sore throat some time before that. dont remember if i had swollen glands though

Mononeucleosis should be ruled out before trying other things. It is tested for easily from a general practitioner. Have you had a sore throat and swollen glands in your throat any time in the last year? It starts with that, and then progresses into the fatigue/depression stage after that.

Yeah, check it out. TSH is the one they often do as a cursory check, but its not overly reliable. Often early on with thyroid issues, it doesnt show up on TSH, and the normal range they use is also perhaps a bit arbitrary. If you havent had t3 and t4 done, that would be worth doing, if possible IMO.

Liver is cheaper than most other meat, easily available at the grocery store or butcher shop, ask your parents to make it. I grew up not eating meat, except for liver a few times a year, and my energy was always amazing for a few days afterwards. New question, if you are really thirsty and tired, have you been screened for Type 1 diabetes? Also, just as drinking too little water isn't good, if you are drinking too much water and not replenishing your electrolytes with natural salts, broth, and vegetables that can cause serious fatigue.

Liver is a good idea to try. its full of vitamins, has choline (improves mental clarity). Just ask for it at the butcher. It can taste strong, so either soak in lemon, or make pate (basically blending the cooked liver into lots of butter) to improve the taste. You could also try eating more eggs, if your not already.

Did you get a thyroid t3 and t4, or just tsh? Sometimes that can go under the radar initially if they just test tsh, but generally speaking, kidney and liver damage will show up, if its causing any symptoms (IMO)

my feet are cold and my mood is depressed. im not sure if my pulse is low cause i dont know how to calculate it accurately. i eat eggs regularly but not liver. i dont fart anymore its really rare but bloating is everyday. im just trying to eat some sauerkraut as i heard thats more potent than supplements

i had kidney liver and thyroid tested but my naturopath said they werent damaged enough to show up on blood tests. my pee is sorta yellow in the mornings but im really really thirsty so i drink a lot of water, which makes my pee clear.
we dont buy salmon anyway cause its too expensive. hopefully these probiotics work.
ill google diatomaceaous earth and pumpkin seeds

Natropaths and functional medicine approaches can be great for hard to treat issues (a great example is dan shen from chinese medicine for live issues), but conventional doctors and specialists are still the best angle for diagnosis IMO.

Conventional doc work help much with the digestive stuff, so perhaps look into GAPS diet and fodmaps diet, probiotics, bone broth/stock etc for that, and go to a decent GP for a thorough blood panel to check up the energy/fog. You need to eliminate various possibilities for that. If it turns out to be chronic fatigue, you might also benefit from the autoimmune protocol diet, and youll want a doctor who specialises in it, as most wont be much help with that particular problem.

I do not really know what to say... First of all, I am tired too but I know the reason behind my fatigue - my digestive issues. Liver can be a part of it. I still think you should take some of her words with caution. Again, not sure what to say. Sorry :)

^ Theres more omega-3 in a big bit of salmon, than in several large fish oil caps. You can have a blood test to test your b vit levels. You can have a scientifically proven blood test to test for liver damage. Same with kidney damage. Same with thyroid. If your thyroid was damages, youd need medications. If your liver is damaged, youll need something hepaprotective. Chances are those b vitamins are excess and making your pee yellow but not doing much else. Probiotics will deal with the bacteria. I think your being fleeced, but id love to know whats actually wrong with you.

Iridology is a pseudoscience like phrenology or palm reading, and based purely on speculation. I've never seen any compelling evidence to hold it in any higher regard than horoscopes. You want your ND to base your treatments on information gathered from things like blood work, ultrasounds, and respiratory markers like an MD would, but with a natural treatment plan. You also want an ND that knows when allopathic medicine is the better option. If you do think you have parasites zapping your energy, and are opposed to drugs, try adding diatomaceaous earth and pumpkin seeds to your diet.

i think i had betaine hcl supps months ago but i couldnt swallow tablets so they broke it my mouth. i decided my teeth were worth more than a chance they might work so i stopped taking them. right now i chew all my supps before swallowing.

Im always tired even after sleep, like way more tired than even the fattest/most unhealthiest of people, i get brain fog so i cant think clearly, i get bloating all the time(i have a flat stomach but when i look in the mirror my stomach looks fat), sometimes farting(becoming more rare) im having weak immune system and getting sick easily and having pimples. easily the worst is the lack of energy and the brain fog. i just casually called it chronic fatigue

Im really tired and although my diet and lifestyle are pretty much perfect (only things wrong are nothing organic, no supplements and a lot of stress and no excercise[but im sure excercise would make it worse]) i was eating real food and i felt better but i still feel really bad,
i was going to go to a one a friend recommended (my friend is a naturopath student) but she was $120 and lived really far away. this one is on the radio and she has 25 years experience. but my friend agreed with the naturopath.

You can get plenty of omega 3 from fish, and even more if you occasionally have something like sheep brain. The main goal is to not get too much omega 6. Have you ever checked out your pee after eating liver, it is the same neon yellow as when taking a B vitamin supplement. You don't need a ton of protein, Mark Sisson is great, but he does gear things towards the body-builder set who are trying to put on extra muscle, but in everyday life they just take away from opportunities for more balanced nutrition. If you are having malabsorption issues digestive enzymes and betaine HCL can help.

the harmful bacteria, then i could supplement back in probiotics. Im not sure what exactly is bad about iridology. I also am too tired to shop around, again my parents probably wont want to spend all that money.
May I ask what would you recommend (supplements or otherwise) to improve my health?

I thought it was impossible to get enough omega 3 from eating fish. I think Robb Wolf and Mark Sisson recommended fish oil supplements. and Joseph Mercola recommended krill oil.
I also thought the reasoning behind the b vitamins was that i wasnt absorbing it from the meat. same with protein powders. (mark sisson recommended protein powders)
i dont want to take drugs because i dont want the side effects and making my health worse. but im sure pork is an inferior meat that say, beef or chicken. i probably could eat pork again when im healthy.
I thought colonic irrigation could help remove

7
Answers

You can get most of that stuff from food. Judging from that list of supplements, I'm guessing she treats mostly vegetarians, or people who don't eat red meat. Keep the vitamin D (I wouldn't worry about taking a ton of it if you are headed into summer though, and a level of 33 at the end of winter isn't bad at all, get it tested again later in the summer) and magnesium, but drop the rest. It is better to eat fish than to take fish oil. If you eat liver and red meat you don't need the B vitamins. Very few people need a cleanse or colonics (they are just like taking antibiotics and decimate your gut microbes), if anything our guts are too sterile these days.

My litmus test for NDs is if they try and sell me on food substitutes like protein powder. If you are eating a paleo diet, you don't need it, you have plenty of protein in your diet already. Your parents might be right about the ND trying to profit from supplements. I don't begrudge anyone trying to make a living, but there is an ethical line on that one that can be crossed pretty easily. I think there is an expectation that patients like taking supplements because they are similar to bottles of drugs we've been conditioned to take for our ails.

If you do have parasites from pork that are causing health problems (I've noticed that to be a pet concern of Naturopaths in Britain, likely originating from vegetarian propaganda, perhaps it has spread to New Zealand as well) you should be taking real drugs to get rid of them. Having a few parasites can actually be helpful in dealing with autoimmune diseases and allergies, but if it has crossed the line that you are developing anemia, organ damage, or there are cysts forming in your brain, it is time to get them outta there. You can get that screened and treated at a normal docs office.

I have a naturopath that I love, but I had to fire a few before finding her. If she started talking colonic irrigation and iridology I'd walk right out the door. Naturopaths can be great, but you have to really shop around to make sure they aren't too woo woo or given to selling fad supplements that they get a kick-back from.

Edit:

I'm hoping these were also ruled out by tests you already had, but here is a checklist of more things to check out with symptoms of fatigue + thirst to rule out just in case.

i think i had betaine hcl supps months ago but i couldnt swallow tablets so they broke it my mouth. i decided my teeth were worth more than a chance they might work so i stopped taking them. right now i chew all my supps before swallowing.

Yeah, check it out. TSH is the one they often do as a cursory check, but its not overly reliable. Often early on with thyroid issues, it doesnt show up on TSH, and the normal range they use is also perhaps a bit arbitrary. If you havent had t3 and t4 done, that would be worth doing, if possible IMO.

Iridology is a pseudoscience like phrenology or palm reading, and based purely on speculation. I've never seen any compelling evidence to hold it in any higher regard than horoscopes. You want your ND to base your treatments on information gathered from things like blood work, ultrasounds, and respiratory markers like an MD would, but with a natural treatment plan. You also want an ND that knows when allopathic medicine is the better option. If you do think you have parasites zapping your energy, and are opposed to drugs, try adding diatomaceaous earth and pumpkin seeds to your diet.

I thought it was impossible to get enough omega 3 from eating fish. I think Robb Wolf and Mark Sisson recommended fish oil supplements. and Joseph Mercola recommended krill oil.
I also thought the reasoning behind the b vitamins was that i wasnt absorbing it from the meat. same with protein powders. (mark sisson recommended protein powders)
i dont want to take drugs because i dont want the side effects and making my health worse. but im sure pork is an inferior meat that say, beef or chicken. i probably could eat pork again when im healthy.
I thought colonic irrigation could help remove

Oh yeah, electrolytes. They can cause mental fog if you lack em. You can get a test for it, but to be sure is to include food that have em: table salt/sea salt (sodium), dark leafy greens (calcium/magnesium), almond milk/milk (calcium), banana/kiwifruit (potassium). Eating alot of these foods for awhile might help. Sodium and potassium are the main ones, but all of them can cause issue if they are low..

^ Theres more omega-3 in a big bit of salmon, than in several large fish oil caps. You can have a blood test to test your b vit levels. You can have a scientifically proven blood test to test for liver damage. Same with kidney damage. Same with thyroid. If your thyroid was damages, youd need medications. If your liver is damaged, youll need something hepaprotective. Chances are those b vitamins are excess and making your pee yellow but not doing much else. Probiotics will deal with the bacteria. I think your being fleeced, but id love to know whats actually wrong with you.

Liver is a good idea to try. its full of vitamins, has choline (improves mental clarity). Just ask for it at the butcher. It can taste strong, so either soak in lemon, or make pate (basically blending the cooked liver into lots of butter) to improve the taste. You could also try eating more eggs, if your not already.

the harmful bacteria, then i could supplement back in probiotics. Im not sure what exactly is bad about iridology. I also am too tired to shop around, again my parents probably wont want to spend all that money.
May I ask what would you recommend (supplements or otherwise) to improve my health?

i had kidney liver and thyroid tested but my naturopath said they werent damaged enough to show up on blood tests. my pee is sorta yellow in the mornings but im really really thirsty so i drink a lot of water, which makes my pee clear.
we dont buy salmon anyway cause its too expensive. hopefully these probiotics work.
ill google diatomaceaous earth and pumpkin seeds

You can get plenty of omega 3 from fish, and even more if you occasionally have something like sheep brain. The main goal is to not get too much omega 6. Have you ever checked out your pee after eating liver, it is the same neon yellow as when taking a B vitamin supplement. You don't need a ton of protein, Mark Sisson is great, but he does gear things towards the body-builder set who are trying to put on extra muscle, but in everyday life they just take away from opportunities for more balanced nutrition. If you are having malabsorption issues digestive enzymes and betaine HCL can help.

Did you get a thyroid t3 and t4, or just tsh? Sometimes that can go under the radar initially if they just test tsh, but generally speaking, kidney and liver damage will show up, if its causing any symptoms (IMO)

Liver is cheaper than most other meat, easily available at the grocery store or butcher shop, ask your parents to make it. I grew up not eating meat, except for liver a few times a year, and my energy was always amazing for a few days afterwards. New question, if you are really thirsty and tired, have you been screened for Type 1 diabetes? Also, just as drinking too little water isn't good, if you are drinking too much water and not replenishing your electrolytes with natural salts, broth, and vegetables that can cause serious fatigue.

You don't tell us anything about your sleep habits. Do you sleep enough? Too much? Do you wake with headaches?

As for the craniosacral massage, no, I don't think it's worth it. I have thirteen years experience with neurologists and highly specialised testing, as my daughter had an inutero stroke. I also have the benefit of having lived for the last twenty years in the BC Westcoast Hippie central. IF there IS something wrong with your head, see a neurologist. A bubble? What does that even mean?

And you don't have to worry about parasites from pork if you cook it thoroughly.

my thyroid was normal but im not sure if i tested t3 and t4. my serum ferritin was 140 which is a bit high. im sorta depressed because im tired. sometimes im anxious. it think my breathing is normal and deep. i did go to a regular doctor and we did some blood tests which included a lot like viruses but they couldnt find anything. im not sure what specialist i should go to.

Well, then, there are other things to check out. Your thyroid, your iron levels, are you depressed? Anxious? How is your breathing? You might try a regular doctor, for a full blood work up, and then go from there. Remember, it's your right to ask to see a specialist if you find you're not getting the answers you like.

I have never been to a naturopath, but the one you describe is the kind that sounds scary to me.

Red flags:

colon irrigation. I have not heard about the benefits yet, but many people warn against them.

way too many supplements. Are you that sick? I agree with Happy Now - get it from real food. That's what Terry Wahls did.

I actually question some other of your naturopath's ideas, but I am not that familiar with naturopathic practices to where she is coming from. How did you find her? Was she listed in a phone book or did you go by your friend's recommendation?

I do not really know what to say... First of all, I am tired too but I know the reason behind my fatigue - my digestive issues. Liver can be a part of it. I still think you should take some of her words with caution. Again, not sure what to say. Sorry :)

Im really tired and although my diet and lifestyle are pretty much perfect (only things wrong are nothing organic, no supplements and a lot of stress and no excercise[but im sure excercise would make it worse]) i was eating real food and i felt better but i still feel really bad,
i was going to go to a one a friend recommended (my friend is a naturopath student) but she was $120 and lived really far away. this one is on the radio and she has 25 years experience. but my friend agreed with the naturopath.

Everything about this just screams "please try GAPS" to me!! A simple vitamin D supplement and possibly some magnesium, and just start from the very basics. It sounds like you are spending a TON of money on stuff that sounds so much like a problem with your gut microbiota. Seriously, check out GAPS. Could save you an incredible amount of money and time. My boyfriend's mom dragged him through every naturopathic procedure possible, and while some of them were helpful, most of them were unnecessary and expensive because in the end a simple GAPS protocol did waaaaay more good than any of the treatments prescribed by the naturopath. For some people, that's all they need. I'm not saying it's a for-sure fix, but it sounds like you are the perfect candidate for something like a GAPS protocol.

Also I had cranial sacral done once, and I really don't think it was worth it. Maybe it was just me, but I really found it did nothing. I would rather have stayed home and had a nice meditation session by myself for free. I haven't talked to anyone else about it, so maybe it has helped some people...

Iridology, with all due respect, doesn't seem to be supported by any actual evidence. Craniosacral therapy and colonic irrigations are similarly questionable. It does rather sound like the naturopath is charging you for therapies and supplements that aren't strictly necessary.

Supplements often are useful though, even though in principle a healthy diet ought to sort you out for most things. Eating kidney/liver regularly ought to cover most bases. If you want to be safe, you can just take a multivitamin. Omega 3 supplements are a good call if you don't eat much oily fish, but you can probably get them cheaper. Magnesium supplements are one of the only minerals that it's really difficult to meet the RDA for from diet alone, and maybe iodine (which you could get from seaweed). Vitamin D may also be wise, but again, you can probably get it cheaper. It's best to focus on just eating healthily though, and plugging your normals daily foods into http://nutritiondata.self.com/ to see if there are any major shortfalls.

I hope you find solutions! My husband and I loved going for a series of colonic irrigations (felt awesome afterwards, and the sheer volume of what left our bodies convinced us it was a good thing) and we immediately used great quality, multi-strain probiotics afterwards to rebuild healthy flora. The above comments, and others I've read are making me rethink colonics though. Still, I'd probably try just one to see how you like it, assuming the colon hydrotherapist is registered, licensed, and highly recommended. For sure I'd pass on the protein shakes, since you're eating paleo. We like Mark Sisson but, yeah, he certainly isn't unbiased when it comes to recommending supplements (which he himself is quick to point out in his book).